Gbain-doob-fobcing device



Dee. 11 1923. Re. 15,729

W. H. MCGANN f' GRAIN DOOR FORCING DEVICE original Filed'Aug. 3o, 1920 Reissues] Dec. Il, 1923.

UNITED STATES y PATENT oF-Ficr..

WILLIAM H. MCGANN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, 1VIIN'NES0'JIA.y I

GnAIN-noon-Foncmc DEVICE.

Original No. 1,400,447,

reissue flied J'une 1, 1922,

dated December 13,1921, Serial No. 407,052, iiled August 30, 1920. Reissue No. 15,306, dated March 14, 1922, Serial 110.535,229, iled February 6, 1922.

Application for second Serial No. 565,565. Reissue No. 15,397, dated v.Tulyv 4, 1922. 'This application for reissue illed lay 16, 1923. Serial No. 639,461.

To all :whom t may concern: v

`Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Mc- GANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Door-Forcing Devices; and I doA and combinations ,of devices hereinafter describedcand defined in the claims.

`The linvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like charac-l ters indicate like parts throughout the several views. y 4

yReferring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary section of a bodyof an vordinary box car and grain door and shows the improved forcing device in side elevation, applied in workin position;

. the.. same being removed from working yFig-2 lis a horizontal section t en yon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and c Y Fig. 3 is avertical section taken through the forcing device on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

position.

" The numerallt indicates-the door struc-` ture, thenumeral 5, one of the side sills, the numeral 6 oneV of the side doorv posts, and

.l the numeral 7 the grain door of an ordinary These grain doors* as usually constructed, are made4 of `wood and are usually nailed tothe inner .sides of the dOO-r posts in a A, position to span the door opening. When or like material, indicated at y is grain,

in the car agalnst the so-called grain loaded door, .the same inward, or by breaking the lumber ofthe grain door. VThe customary practiceis to breakthrough, or split up the boardsof'the gra-in door so that there is a very. greatloss of lumber in the use .of these grain doors, and moreover, the breakin of the grain door is often a quite tedious, i-

has for its object to provide the latter can be opened only by forca cult, or unsatisfactory operation, even when the proper tool, such as a crowbar, or the like, is available. w

Because of the scarcity of pine lumber, it is becoming a more common practice to make these grain doors of cheap grades of hard lumber, and this increases the diiliculty of breaking the grain doors open by the customary means, and also increases the desirability of saving as much as possible of thel lumber of the grain doors. -V

The device whichv Iwill now `describeand which I have termed a grain door forcing device, accomplishes the objects abo-ve indicated.A Preferably this forcing device is constructed and arranged as follows:

The numeral 8 indicates a vry strong door structure and side silll at the door` opening with the unders'urface of the jaw 8 resting upon the floor structure, asbest shown in Fig. 1. p A v The lower jaw 8"y is provided with a clamping screw 9 working with threaded engagement therethrough, and provided at its,l `upper end with a swiveled clamping head 10 that is adapted to bear directly against the under surface of the sill 5. y At 'its lower end, Vthe screw 9 has a hand piece 11, byv means of which it may be rotated, to very securely anchorthe clamp 8 against the -side sill and ioor structure. with its upper jaw in the-immediate. vicinity of the lower transversely central portion of the grain door.

Thejupper end portion of the clamp 8 is provided with laterally spaced upstanding- .The numeralll indicates a. thrust plun-l I ger whichstandsin an oblique position in respect to the aindoor, is locatedY directly under the pinion teeth with which said pinion meshes, and is mounted for straight lline slidin movement in keepers 16 formed on the inc ined upper 14, is provided with rackY door, ap-plied in the ,door

inward Vwith an portion of said clamp 8. At its inner end, the plunger 15 i s providedz withf'a head l17, the operative face of Which is oblique tothe grain door and extends downward-from said plunger, so that ,i ts.lower edge will engage With the extreme lower edge portion of the grain door 7 When theiclamp is 'applied as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this 'preferred' arrangement, the shaft 13 is shown 'asfpr'o'vided with two ratchet wheels :11S rigidly secured thereto, one on each side of the pinion 14. Spring pressed retaining dogs 1 9 pivoted Itothc flanges J1,2 normally engage the respective ratchet Wheels 18. ,Y The numeral 2Q indicates a` long operating lever having a forked loWer'end 'pivotally mounted on the shaft 13 With its prongs immediately inward of ,the-,V ratchet Wheels 18., The prongs of this'lever are'provicled with spring-pressed driving dogs 21 that are engageable With the respective ratchet Wheels 18. Y Y

When the forcing deviceis applied as shown 'in Figs. l1 and 2, and the lever 20 is oscillatedg'the pluiigerll Will be forced inward against theV grain door with` a very oWerful action,` and its head 17, being thus forced against the lower central portion: of the door 7 will "positively force the same upward liftingxactionv vdue to the inclinationof thezpluiiger. If Vvthe grain door stands this effect the ,initiative vopening movement and the initial discharge ofgrain Without breaking, so much the better, but-if it'does not, it`

Will be'on'ly 2'the lo'v'ver board ofA thegrain door, or a small would ybe i broken,

e and much of the grain door will be saved.

yieldv tojth'e steady,even"pressure of the forcing device,"to`permit relief of vthe vgrain pressure luy-effecting an 'initial dischar e of grain, Without being broken at all. 'Brom what has been said, the great'utility of thisl device, bothy as to economy andtim'e r`'and saving ofv lumber is thought to be obvious.y

What I Vclaim is :-v 1. A grain ing a clamp curing'th'e sa,l

ture of a boXcar posed inthe. door mounted on the upperv portion of saidclalp for movement therethrough against @ai grain manually "operatedpovver `mu-ltiplying de vice applied to saidclamp ando-per'ative on saidplunger to force the same against a grain door.r

2. A grain :door forcing device comprising a'clamphaving'fmeans for rigidly s e-V curing'the Vsame toa side sill and'floor strucn a shaft journaled to pressure required to partof the grain door that' 'At any rate,v the grain door need 'not b e hackedh and knocked to pieces, and frequently a"grain"door Willmeto a side sil-l and floor strucopening, and j a ated power multiplying device applied to jsaid clamp and operative on said plunger to force the same against a grain door, the

Vsaid 'plunger 'being Tmounted for oblique kmovenfientandfiliavinga dpendi'ngliefd at 75 its inner eiid for direct engagement with the/'grain door. f "f 3. A grain doo 1j forcing device.A com rising an approximatelypC-shaped 'clamp V"aving `parallel jaws, the `fiippr Ijaw vbeing 80 adapted for 'engagement with 1the car floor at the door opiiirigV tlieeof,fand said; lvvr jaw havinga clampiii'gscrevv/"for enga ment with the under-'surface vof the'oarslll, a rack toothed plunger slidably mounted? on '86 the upper' portion of'- Said"clamp fand vzehgageable at its inner end `With a graindogbi, the upper 'portinof said clamp and having' a spur pinion *and a ratchet wheel, said pinion meshigwith 00 the rack teeth of said' plunger, af'fi'eti'iig dog on said clamp operative on said ratchet Wheel, and a lever pivotally associated with said shaft and having la'driving dog per-4 ative on said ratchet Wheel, I, 1l. A grain door forcing A evice 'comprising an approximately i C-shaped clamp, Yhavin parallel jaWsLthe upper`^jawfbeingadapte for engagement Withthevcar fl'orat thedor opening thereof, and said lower javvhaviig' 100 a clampin screwffor 'engagement-With tjhe under-surface of thecar sill,'a "racktothed plunger sli-dabl mountedlon 't "e upper` prtion of said c amp andxegageableat its innverend-yvith a "grainTdo'or,d a'sliafft: our-"105 naled to thev upperfpo'rtion of, sa'idlclairiip and havino a spur'pinio'n'al'id fratchfet wheel, sani? pinion meshing witthf the rla'k telethiof said yI )lurjrgena retaii1`11g`do n said 'clamp Voperative onfsfaidfratchet eel, -r 110 and a levery pivotally associated Withfsaid shaft and 'haviiiga Vdriving dg'opertive on said ratchet yx'vheelfthesaid-'plunger being 'mounted to'mo've o 'liqiielyffto'the'rf engaging face lof thelipperf jaW/"of'fsai'dll clamp and having a depending graildoor engaging'head. y

5'. Agrain door forcing device Ac'olii'pri'iling a clamp havingmeans for securug the 'same to the floor- Vstructurel, andj'vside':V l'sill' "of" fa boi( f120 car, at the, dooropening"thereof,,aJ plunger slidably mountedl onv the Vruppers-'por'tion*of said clamp and'engageable 'vvith' agra'in door mounted in thev door opening," a 'lever pivotally'y connected to thel upperfportin of i 125 said clamp, and pawl'andratchet "a'ctiiii'td connection between said lever and pluhgr.

f6. VYA grain door 'forcing device havngfin combination a' 'clamp vv'uiapted "toi'ga ewa; f@ portion of the car "structure 'to rigidly i old 130 the device in position, means mounted in said clamp adapted to be moved relatively thereto into engagement with the car door, and manually operated means for moving said last named means. l

7 A grain door forcing device having in combination, a member adapted to engage the car sill, means connected to said member to hold the same firmly in position, means mounted on said member to move relatively thereto to engage the car door, and means for operating said last named means.

8. A car door opening device having in combination, a member having means for positively supporting the same in stationary position directly in front of said door and at any point along the front thereof, a. plunger carried by said member and having means at its forward end to engage a door, said plunger carrying a rack, a gear mounted in said member engagin said rack to move the plunger longitudinaIly against the door and means for turning said gear to move the plunger against the door.

9. A grain door opening device having in combination, a member having means for Y positively supporting the same in stationary position at any point along the front of a grain door, a plunger guided in said member for longitudinal movement in a planel substantially at right angles to the plane of said door, said plunger'carrying a head for engaging said door and also carrying a rack along one side thereof, a gear engaging said rack to advance said plunger, and means for holding said gear from reverse movement. 10. A car door openin device having in combination, a member l[liaving means for positively supporting the same in stationary position directly in ront of the car door and at any point along the front thereof, a plunger carried by said member and having means at its forward end to engage said door, means on said plunger and disposed,

along the same by which it can be moved longitudinally, a member engaging said last mentioned means and co-operating therewith to move said plunger longitudinally, and rotating means for causing said last mentioned member to operate to move said means on said plunger and thus move said plunger longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM I-I. MCGANN. 

